144 Gunnar Landtman. 



„Bubiira duriipi bubüra âibi mâhvdira. — All fly go on top dead body (which is left 

 behind), you me pull along canoë." 



Then the people ail went to the bush to show Ndbeamuro his gardens, and his eight 

 wives went ton, but the ninth stayed behind. The people said to Ndbeamuro, „Altogether garden 

 belong you, banana garden, taro garden, yam garden, sugar-cane garden, sweet potato garden, 

 coconut ground, belong you, Ndbeamuro. You got eight wife hère." 



When nobody was looking, Sivdre's first wife went to the river and feeling her way v\'ith 

 her feet in the water found Sivdre with the crocodile on top. Bringing both on shore she hur- 

 riedly threw away the model crocodile, lest someone should see her. Sivdre came round and 

 asked in bewilderment, „What's the matter me?" The woman said, „Alligator been catch you, 

 that's me I make him. I been wild along you, all time you go along eight woman. I been make 

 that alligator, catch you." She scraped off the grass and mud which had stuck to Sivare's body 

 while he was in the water. AU his weapons and ornaments still remained with him. They went 

 into the house and hid themselves in an enclosure of mats. The woman said, „You (your) father 

 been bring him Ndbeamuro from Ki'wai, eight woman belong you Ndbeamuro been marry him. 

 He (the father) been give him j'ou (your) name. People altogether speak, 'You take place belong 

 Sivdre, you stop here.'" Sivdre listened but did not say a word. When she had finished he 

 askcd her to prépare some charcoal, and he painted himself black, ready for battle („wild belong 

 him come up now"). The woman then gave him sago and he ate. 



Ndbeamuro, Gumdru, and the women retui'ned to the house. The women prepared food, 

 and Ndbeamuro asked everybody to come and eat, and after the meal they smoked. Sivdre came 

 running up, carrying his weapons. He drew his bow at Ndbeamuro and said, „Who been teil 

 you come steal all woman belong me? You think I die altogether?" Ndbeamuro looked up, and 

 „eye belong him come red".^ All the people shouted, „Oh, Sivdre, Sivdre, Sivdre!" Nobody 

 knew wJiere he came from. Sivdre called out, „VVhat name (why) you come take my place, take 

 all my woman, take all my pickaninny?" Both the men grasped their stone clubs and stood up 

 facing each other, but the others caught hold of them sa\'ing, „Oh, j'ou two no fight, you belong 

 this place, you two go stop here." 



Then the two men sat down. They agreed to share the women between them, .Sivdre 

 saying, „I give you three, I take four," and also divided the gardens. Sivdre lived at one end 

 of the house and Ndbeamuro at the other, all the people in Sivdre's half of the house belonging 

 to him and the others beyond the centre to Ndbeamuro. All made a great feast, and the two 

 men sat down „all same big master." Sivdre's people distributed food to Ndbeamuro's people, 

 and recel ved food from them in return. 



In the morning when the people went to the bush Ndbeamuro alleged to be ill and re- 

 mained in the house. He thought to himself, „I don't know what I do." He feit sad, thinking 

 of his place, Idsa, and his brother who was lamenting him day and night. Ndbeamuro went to 

 swim in the water and stretched out his body as if tired. A cripple'' who was staying in the 

 house watched him from a distance: „Ndbeamuro, what he do now? Look, eye belong him come 

 red!" Ndbeamuro selzed his stone club, beheading knife and head-carrier, and the cripple vvon- 

 dered, „Hailoo, what he try do? I don't know what he go make him." The terrified man cravvied 

 away and hid him.self in the house. 



Tom. XLVII. 



